bargain tubs

sungod
sungod Posts: 17,446
edited December 2015 in Road buying advice
bike24 has a special offer, they're labelled as schwalbe but look exactly like old veloflex carbons...

http://www.bike24.de/1.php?menu=1000%2C4%2C22%2C35;search=ultremo;content=8;product=28502

...at c 30€ that's a real bargain, i've ordered several :)
my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny

Comments

  • cycleclinic
    cycleclinic Posts: 6,865
    Bought 6. These I have seen on weight weenies as being 2010 so should be nicely aged. Given you are a long term user of veloflex is it worth using them at this time of year or waiting till next year and keep them for racing and time trails. I rather not ruin them with punctures.
    http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.
  • sungod
    sungod Posts: 17,446
    i'm lazy enough to not want to swap tyres for the weather!

    i think it's more a matter of road condition than season, if you're on roads plagued with flints, glass etc. then they'll cut much more easily in the wet so saving them for dryer times may be best

    fwiw i put a new set on and there's about 1800km on them so far, 1200km lanzarote, the rest london, so far no cuts and only after the last ride (wet) did i find a tiny flint embedded, about 1.5mm, no harm done though

    but in the past i've had one badly cut within a week, really luck of the draw

    i use carbon on the front, arenberg rear as it lasts longer and traction seems better
    my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    I used to run them. They are decent speed wise but cut too easily. I moved on to Vittoria Corsa CX instead.

    If they are for racing they are worth a punt but I would train in them
  • dastott
    dastott Posts: 19
    Thanks for the info. Do these have removable valve cores? Similar in price to Continental Sprinters. Similar in quality?
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    [url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19733457#p19733457]dastott[/url] wrote:
    Thanks for the info. Do these have removable valve cores? Similar in price to Continental Sprinters. Similar in quality?

    Every tub I've seen on sale last few years have removable cores. Mainly since deep rims are more affordable to general public
  • sungod
    sungod Posts: 17,446
    yep, cores are removable

    veloflex are a lot more supple than conti sprinters, different rubber, different construction

    but i think the sprinters will be more puncture resistant, though if they do hole i'm not sure you can repair them as easily as veloflex
    my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny
  • cycleclinic
    cycleclinic Posts: 6,865
    I have had sprinters repaired before. Construction is the same as the competition tubular easy to repair if you can be bothered. I send my off though to browns tyres as I can't be bothered and I a good stock of tubs.
    http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.
  • sungod
    sungod Posts: 17,446
    good to know, i'd heard varying info on conti repairs, if they're ok i might try a couple should the winter drag on
    my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny
  • bernithebiker
    bernithebiker Posts: 4,148
    I bought a few Veloflex Carbons (new) off a private seller this year.

    Every single one failed on me eventually.

    The inner tube became porous and started to lose pressure, long before the tyre was worn out.

    Not sure why, but I suspect the latex? of the tube had become old and cracked.

    A Decathlon, Pitstop type sealant fixed it for a few weeks, then it would start leaking again.

    So I'm steering clear of these unless I can be sure they're made less than a year ago.
  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    I've ridden the same pair of VF Record 20mm that have been ageing for a few years the entire TT season (about 30 races of all distances). No problems. In fact, they've taken a hell of a beating and are still in one piece.
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • cycleclinic
    cycleclinic Posts: 6,865
    tubes don't become porous unless the tyre has been badly stored. Any rubber will degrade when exposed to UV and Ozone. Private sellers dont always store thing properly blaming that on the tub is well misinformed.

    I have never found however a latex tube becoming cracked. They can loose alot of pressure over night my Vittoria corsa's (new) will be flat in 3-4 days from 100 psi. Oddly vittoria latex tubes for clinchers hold pressure much better showing a smaller pressure loss (20 psi over a couple of day).
    http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.
  • bernithebiker
    bernithebiker Posts: 4,148
    [url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19734468#p19734468]thecycleclinic[/url] wrote:
    tubes don't become porous unless the tyre has been badly stored. Any rubber will degrade when exposed to UV and Ozone. Private sellers dont always store thing properly blaming that on the tub is well misinformed.

    I have never found however a latex tube becoming cracked. They can loose alot of pressure over night my Vittoria corsa's (new) will be flat in 3-4 days from 100 psi. Oddly vittoria latex tubes for clinchers hold pressure much better showing a smaller pressure loss (20 psi over a couple of day).

    I'm not blaming anything on anyone, I'm simply saying that I had a bad batch (3) of Veloflex Carbons.

    Probably just unlucky, or maybe the seller got hold of some rejects, I don't know. Otherwise, I love the tyre itself, light, grippy and rolls well.
  • dastott
    dastott Posts: 19
    Bought one of these Swalbe (Veloflex?) tubs from Bike 24. Not fitted it yet but pumped it up and it has gradually lost pressure over 2 weeks. Is this normal? Only ever used Continental tubs before and they keep inflated for much longer.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    [url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19754807#p19754807]dastott[/url] wrote:
    Bought one of these Swalbe (Veloflex?) tubs from Bike 24. Not fitted it yet but pumped it up and it has gradually lost pressure over 2 weeks. Is this normal? Only ever used Continental tubs before and they keep inflated for much longer.

    Yes. I use Vittoria corsas and they will be near enough flat after a week of no use. I do put locking tape on the extender threads (the thin white plumbing seaing tape) to help prevent as much air loss as possible but you will always lose it eventually.
  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    [url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19754807#p19754807]dastott[/url] wrote:
    Bought one of these Swalbe (Veloflex?) tubs from Bike 24. Not fitted it yet but pumped it up and it has gradually lost pressure over 2 weeks. Is this normal? Only ever used Continental tubs before and they keep inflated for much longer.

    Completely normal as they use latex tubes. All Conti tubs use butyl tubes.
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • sungod
    sungod Posts: 17,446
    [url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19754807#p19754807]dastott[/url] wrote:
    Bought one of these Swalbe (Veloflex?) tubs from Bike 24. Not fitted it yet but pumped it up and it has gradually lost pressure over 2 weeks. Is this normal? Only ever used Continental tubs before and they keep inflated for much longer.

    as the others say, this is normal, you'll find need to re-inflate every ride as even overnight they'll lose pressure (around 1 to 1.5 bar)

    btw when mine turned up i had a very good look at them, the condition is excellent, imho they've been stored very well, and they are definitely veloflex
    my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny

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